Ascension
by PadawanMage
Summary: What's the story behind Darth Plagueis the Wise? How did he work on his power to create life and what happened during and after his downfall? Set years before Episode I. Read and Review!


**Title:** "Ascension"

**Summary:** What's the story behind Darth Plagueis the Wise? How did he work on his power to create life and what happened during and after his downfall?

**Spoilers: **Episode III(?); Takes place years before Episode I.

**Author's Notes:** I had the idea for this story after watching Episode 3. I did a little research and tried to do a back-story behind the Sith, Darth Plagueis and his quest to find the power to create life. Also, I try and explain what happened to him, as well as the repercussions of his work.

This work has not been beta'd, though I have tried to clean up any grammatical errors I could find. For more in-depth notes, please see the end of this story.

**Read and Review!**

* * *

The cloaked figure strode purposely through the corridors of the ship, the door leading to a room just exited slid silently behind him. An errand of great importance had just been fulfilled and all that was left was to report that the test subject had been 'acquired.' 

Decades of Sith training had inculcated the apprentice with the absolute need to hide and control any outward show of emotion; it was one of the many reasons the ancient order had been able to, not only survive, but also thrive these past thousand years. Moreover, it gave his master something to ponder at what truly went on in his learner's mind.

Certainly no longer a youth, the man would, if pressed, admit to a barely contained thrill at what he might be privileged to see this evening. It was not everyday that Sith knowledge and understanding could be pushed beyond its boundaries. So important – and possibly monumental – was this moment that the apprentice, in the guise of his alter ego, had taken pains to make sure he had sufficient time away from his profession as a functionary on a planet close to the Outer Rim Territories.

He stopped just at the entrance that led to his master's quarters. Even from the outside, the air tingled with torrents from the Force. These were not, however, the random and chaotic eddies most people identified with the all-encompassing, all-binding energy field. These currents had a distinct ebb and flow, all converging to a point within the room. Thankfully, the backwater planet they'd landed on was outside of Republic jurisdiction and therefore away from any possible Jedi incursion.

Straightening himself up, the apprentice touched a contact to announce his arrival. Moments passed before the door slid silently aside. Taking a deep breath, he quietly walked in.

Darth Plagueis, Dark Lord and Master of the Sith, sat cross-legged in the very center of a spartan, almost austere room. Two nearly burned out candles sat on either side of him, their flames giving off just enough of a feeble light that gleamed dully over a skull bereft of any hair. A slight, acetic man, Plagueis sported a thin goatee that was so grey, it had gone silver. Eyes closed and with hands lying palms down on his legs, the man sat so still, he affected more of a look to that of a waxen figure than that of the most powerful follower of the dark side of the Force.

The apprentice bent down on one knee. "Master," he said quietly.

Brown, almost black eyes slowly opened to regard the deferential man. In a soft yet measured voice that still managed to carry itself across the length and breadth of the room, Plagueis said, "Is all in preparation?"

"Yes, my master."

The Sith Lord stood up from the floor with hardly a flutter in his robes. "Come with me," he bade and glided out of the sanctum, his learner right behind him.

They walked through corridor after corridor of the large ship, passing many relics from past eras of the Sith encased in pedestals or mounted on bulkheads. Golden amulets, jewel-encrusted swords, ebon Sith masks made from exotic metals…all had been either passed down over the generations or had been found and preserved here or in special caches spread out across the galaxy. Each item had a distinct power associated with them, though all were deeply suffused in the dark side. Every single artifact was priceless beyond measure, though none could ever be sold on the market for it would have raised the collective eyebrows of the Jedi.

Master and apprentice eventually walked up to an unmarked door situated in the very center of the ship. A wave of a hand and the entry slid back to reveal a room plunged in near-darkness. In the very center, illuminated by a shaft of light from the ceiling, an unconscious young woman lay on a table. Brown hair framed a round, somewhat plain face whose tanned skin just started to show a mild coarseness characteristic of those exposed to too much sunlight.

Plagueis walked over to one side of the table. A hand was placed on the brow of the slowly breathing woman. After a moment, the Dark Lord nodded, and, for the first time in many months, a cold, anticipatory fire burned in his eyes.

Years of toil and study were about to come to a close.

Had he looked up at that moment, Plagueis would have seen the same look reflected in his apprentice's eyes – though for completely different reasons.

**oOoOoOoOo**

For over a thousand years, the Sith Order had excelled at hiding amongst the untold billions of the galaxy, waiting for the time when they could finally take their revenge on the accursed Jedi Knights. As set down by their founder, Darth Bane, the Sith Order started and ended with only two individuals. Anymore beyond that would lead to strife, infighting and eventual destruction; Bane himself had been present at the cataclysmic event that destroyed not only the Sith, but an entire Jedi army sent to the take down the dark-siders. He'd seen firsthand the squabbling of all the supposed 'Lords' during the campaign. Instead of focusing on their true enemy, the Jedi, they all argued and bickered as to who would lead them into combat, or who had what weapons or troops to share.

In the aftermath, only Bane remained. It was at that moment that he understood the need for the Sith to reinvent itself or else face annihilation. As the first of his new precepts commanded, only one dark lord would find and train only one learner at a time.

One master, one apprentice: one to embody power, the other to crave it.

Down through the centuries, these commandments helped concentrate the dark side into two people and helped keep the fires of the old order continually burning, never once catching the eye of the complacent Jedi.

The young boy who would eventually become the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis had initially been brought up in a small farming colony on a remote planet so far removed from the space lanes, it'd scarcely rated a name on the star charts. Quiet and introspective, with no real friends, the child never quite resigned himself to a life as a farmer. There were times when he'd feel that something momentous was meant for him. One event would have definite repercussions in his life.

A series of caves lay just on the outskirts of the settlement. Many attempts to explore them had been made, but none ever returned. As such, the caverns were deemed off-limits to all. This, unfortunately, did not stop several children from going in and disappearing. Intensely curious, the boy had gone inside anyway; his intent on seeing what was in there and how deep he could go.

What was in the catacombs turned out to have many eyes, many legs and looked voraciously hungry. And it was coming right for him. Horror paralyzed the boy right to the spot. But before his life might have ended as a snack, something deep within the boy, fueled by both fear and adrenaline, reached out and struck at the beast. It struck the creature with such blinding force, it barely had time to scream.

Minutes passed before the boy finally peaked through trembling fingers. He was surprised to see nothing but a smoldering pile of blackened chitin on the ground. A feeling of euphoria immediately overwhelmed him. He felt his tired limbs and body feel energized with renewed vigor. Small cuts and bruises he'd sustained on his journey in the caves were healed. It wasn't immediately apparent as to why, until he looked at the corpse again: somehow, he'd leeched the life force from the monster, and into his own being.

The experience both frightened and excited him for he now knew that there was something very different about him. His hidden talent set him apart from other, common people, and he could sense (with the same mixture of anticipation and dread) that his life would soon be at a crossroads.

The youth didn't have long to wait. Soon enough, while on an errand, he met up with a sable-robed woman who called herself Ceyla. She told him that she'd been looking for him for a long time, and that he was 'exceptional' with a 'special destiny.' The boy didn't have to even think twice about leaving his parents and community they loved in. He never looked back.

From that moment on, his previous life may as well have been that of another person. To signify the discarding of his old life, the boy's master, Darth Ceyla, bestowed onto him the name, 'Plagueis.' The boy felt this title particularly apropos, especially given what had happened to him in the caves.

However, the master told him, any hope at ever attaining the coveted mantle of 'Darth' required Plagueis to go through the arduous training necessary to be worthy of such a title. It was even possible, she said, that he might die. Plagueis never batted an eye, especially when he felt the benefits outweighed the risks.

The teachings of the Sith opened up a world of possibilities to the boy. As he grew in age as well in power and mastery of the Force, he eventually earned the title only a rare few ever achieved. Soon thereafter, he finally grew powerful enough to rise up and slay his master. Having earned the role of Master, Plagueis finally began to devote time to aspects of the Force that had attracted him during his long years of study.

Pushing the body (as well as the mind) to extremes – to its very limits – was one of the many attributes of being a Sith. It was the only way to ascertain how strong one truly could truly be. If one could not bend the body to one's will, what right did one have to one day rule the galaxy? Unfortunately, even supreme mental and physical control, coupled with the Force, could only go so far. Death, ever patient, would eventually claim what was rightfully hers.

Plagueis found that entirely unacceptable.

He felt the key lay with midichlorians, the microscopic life forms that act as conduits to the Force. Slowly, over time, he'd uncovered ways to manipulate them to do things such as keep a body sustained for extended periods of time without nourishment, or healing a person's injury beyond that of conventional healing powers.

Plagueis knew that the surface had only just been scratched. More research and careful study was needed, especially with what the Sith Lord had in mind. From his searches through the archives of his order, he'd been able to find tantalizing references to a power unheard of before: the ability to actually create life, possibly even as a means to immortality.

Many Sith knew of the legend of Exar Kun, one of the first true Dark Lords, who had lived more than four thousand years ago. Rumor had it that he'd been trying to find a way of living beyond death. Unfortunately, his apprentice at the time had betrayed him and led a Jedi armada back to his master's stronghold on Yavin 4. There, the world, all of the Sith Lord's followers and supposedly Kun himself had been destroyed in the attack. Whether or not the man had ever found some way to immortality had never been known.

Be that as it may, Darth Plagueis' interest had been more than piqued since he knew that with such a power in his grasp, the Order would truly be unstoppable – _he_ would be unstoppable. It was even possible he could live long enough to see the fall of the Jedi.

Unfortunately, there'd been very little information beyond _what_ the power did as compared to _how_. If he truly wanted the secrets, Plagueis had to take on the daunting task of visiting planets with ancient sites of knowledge relating to the Sith, such as Korriban, Byss and Onderon to name a few. Planet after planet, either long forgotten or within the trade routes had been searched for clues.

Along the way, Plagueis came upon the youth whom the Force had shown him would eventually become his new apprentice. The Dark Lord had originally decided on putting off his search for one, focused as he was on his galactic quest. Grudgingly, Plagueis understood that if something should happen to him, the Order would perish right there. He reluctantly admitted that an apprentice might also be of help in his quest. He took the young boy from his world of birth and introduced him as a learner of the Sith. Over the years, Plagueis devised many trials and tests for his new apprentice: testing his physical prowess on the ice world of Hoth, or facing his fear on encountering the fearsome beasts on the planet Dxun.

Several of these trials involved the finding and retrieving of clues Plagueis desperately needed for his research (scrolls, holocrons, etc). Why go himself, when he had a perfectly willing apprentice to do the dirtiest of the dirty work for him? However, Plagueis was smart enough to realize that his learner would eventually get a hint at what he was working towards. He was unconcerned, though, since most of his sensitive data was locked away in his mind. Any attempt by his apprentice to rise up and slay him would mean that his chances at attaining the same power would be lost. It was Plagueis' unspoken fail-safe at keeping his apprentice – who was extremely sly, cunning, but certainly no fool – in his place.

Finally, after many years had passed, Plagueis came up with a breakthrough, a stepping-stone to his eventual goal. He'd come to a point where a test had to be performed to justify continuing on to the next phase. All that was required was a test subject. Someone in someplace had to be found as far from Jedi interference as possible, but close to enough to either the master or his apprentice to keep an eye on. Days of intense meditation eventually rewarded Plagueis with a Force vision showing him a dull-looking planet, which, after consulting star charts was found to be in the Arkanis Sector. It was situated far beyond the galactic core and, even better, was outside of Republic control. A quick summons to his apprentice and the two of them made for the world on the outer rim.

After making planet fall, weeks had passed before a suitable target had been found in one of the settlements. The apprentice kept tabs on the woman for some time to learn her habits and daily routines. Fortunately, some of those habits were predicated on the fact that the woman was a house servant for a local rich family. It'd been ridiculously easy to circumvent the security measures placed on the servants' small quarters. That night, the woman was sedated and spirited away.

Not a single living being took notice of the apprentice's passage.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Darth Plagueis nodded once in satisfaction. He now ignored his apprentice and slowly began to focus all his attention on the unconscious being on the table. Slowly, he started to regulate his breathing, feeling the sensation of the air entering and leaving his lungs. His heart rate slowed perceptibly, the slow thrum of his life beat echoing in his ears.

Dimly, a second heart beat encroached itself onto the Dark Lord's consciousness. Like a conductor attempting to harmonize the disparate instruments in an orchestra, Plagueis' heart rate and breath first began to echo and then finally worked in concert with the woman's.

Vital signs now in synch, Plagueis started to analyze the woman through the Force. Past the skin, through the organs until finally, at the most basic level, small, microscopic organisms could be seen within each and every cell in the body. Through the Force, Plagueis could see the complex, interwoven energy moving to and fro through each part of the body. Although not entirely a factor, Plagueis was still surprised to sense the amount of midichlorians in the woman, since the total present was surely indicative of a latent Force-user.

This was a boon and, at the same time, a problem. While there were certainly more midichlorians to work with, more energy would have to be expended in order for them to perform the experiment.

The Sith Lord mentally sighed. No matter. He'd come this far to get one step closer to realizing his dream, he was not about to stop now.

Careful of the delicate balance he was about to disrupt, Plagueis began to mentally impel his will on the energy field surrounding the woman. The power crackled in mild protest as the midichlorians were slowly directed to do something unheard of before. On its own, the Dark Lord's right hand stretched out and hovered just over the woman's solar plexus. The interlocking web of energy surged and converged at the same point. Then, slowly, deliberately (and under the keen gaze of the apprentice), Plagueis inched his open palm further downward till it poised just above the woman's lower abdomen.

Bracing himself, the Dark Lord prepared for the introduction of the last, precious component of this trial. Ever so slowly, as if gently turning on a tap on a faucet, vital life force energy flowed from Plagueis, through his arm and towards the awaiting energy swirling around his hand. As to two forms of energy met, they joined to form a pulsating incandescence. Beads of sweat gathered on the Sith Lord's brow as he scrupulously regulated the flow of his life energy. Too little of it and the experiment would fizzle out. Too much and Sith Lord would never again have to worry on his being slain by his apprentice.

Even as every breath grew more and more painful and as he felt steadily weaker with each passing moment, he stood rooted to the ground, knowing that the slightest misstep now would be disastrous. Skin paling and sweat running down his temples, Plagueis continued to pour more of his power into the focal point. So focused was his attention to the task that he scarcely noted the thick, iron taste of blood trickling to his lips from his nose. Finally, to the point where he could barely stand and the seething tempest of energies at his hand had joined fully, Plagueis rested his hovering palm onto the woman.

A sudden ethereal eruption exploded right between the Sith Lord and the young woman, blinding the apprentice who stood too close to the two. As quickly as it came, the scintillating shock wave diminished rapidly, leaving an extremely weakened Plagueis gripping the table and swaying slightly. Taking haggard breaths and wiping the blood from his lips, he steadied himself as he gazed down at the woman, who, for all intents and purposes, looked to be still sleeping soundly. Barely able to stand, Plagueis studied his subject through the Force.

He'd done it.

The Sith Lord's triumphant euphoria was short lived as a sudden coughing fit wracked through his body. He covered his mouth and his hand came away with even more blood. A wave of nausea left him woozy as his eyesight blurred and tunneled. Plagueis had no idea the experiment would rob him of so much. There wasn't even any reserve strength left to even try and heal him. It was imperative that he get some rest to recoup his vigor. With the apparent success of the experiment, it would be a shame to die now before reaping the benefits. The Sith Lord glanced at his learner, who looked slightly befuddled from the event.

"Watch over her for the next few hours, my apprentice. They will be the most important," Plagueis said and turned to stagger towards the door, not bothering to stay for an acknowledgement.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The apprentice dazedly watched as his master leave the room, still slightly shaken from the astonishing display he'd just witnessed. Shaking his head, he set several medical droids to tend to the woman and then gazed down at her, his eyes narrowing. What _had_ his master done that could produce such a torrent of energy, as well as something that could bring him to the near brink of death?

Even after several minutes had passed, a residual 'afterglow' still emanated from the unconscious form on the table. This made the apprentice frown slightly. Most Force-driven powers (such as influencing a mind, healing or even Force lightning) were short-lived and never left any residual energy. However, even the apprentice had felt his master tapping into his own life force to fuel whatever he had done.

He gently probed the woman with the Force. He blinked. A presence could be felt of such enormous Force potential, it nearly blinded the apprentice. A deeper scan showed the emanation wasn't coming from her per se, but somewhere on her person. There!...right in the area where his master's hand had lain. A small cluster of cells was growing, dividing, multiplying…specializing. The apprentice scowled. It couldn't be cancer…?

On a hunch, a portable medical scanner was activated and a quick scan was made. When the results scrolled across the screen, the man's frown grew deeper. He ran the scan again, and yet a third time. When the screen stubbornly reported the same result for the last time, there was no choice but to accept the truth:

The woman was pregnant.

The apprentice slowly sat himself down on a chair near the woman. He glanced one last time at the scanner in his hand…and then hurled it against a wall, smashing it to bits.

"That tiresome, old goat," he hissed. "He finally did it."

All those years of being his master's errand boy, all those decades spent scrabbling around this planet or that ancient tomb, all that time wasted playing the humble apprentice, all to help his master live just a little while longer. For many years, the apprentice had discerned (or had a very good idea) most of the details on his master's project to create life. Although Darth Plagueis had taken pains to try and keep the full extent of his experiments hidden, he'd still left enough crumbs laying around to piece together a good picture. Even if he wasn't the master in the Sith hierarchy, that certainly didn't make the apprentice a fool.

By all rights, _I _should be the master by now, the apprentice bitterly thought.

The only reason he'd held back from striking Plagueis down was the possible promise of immortality. And there, lying on the table was further proof at how far his master had gone. He'd hoped to glean some crucial information while Plagueis performed the experiment, some further clue so as to finally unlock the secrets and be rid of that ancient fossil. But no, all that was seen was a superficial understanding of the procedure, not the intimate knowledge of the steps necessary to carry it out.

Since achieving the rank of Sith Lord, the apprentice had fully understood and embraced his Order's primary desire to both destroy the Jedi Order and seek dominion over the galaxy. As he'd grown older, he could see in the galaxy that the time was ripe to where the first steps could be taken. All that was needed was a push here, a nudge there and soon the galaxy would be theirs. Repeatedly, this had been brought up to Plagueis, but all the Master cared about was working on his precious experiments. The apprentice understood that the work might be invaluable, but his master's obsession led him to begin questioning whether or not the Order's main purpose was being blunted.

Timing was everything. Conditions in the galaxy would not remain as they were forever. Politics, economics and technology were, by their very nature, extremely fluid in a galactic scale. If he waited too long…

Growling in disgust, the apprentice paced the floor, his hands folded behind his back. As long as Plagueis kept all the cards close to his chest, there wasn't much he could do.

"It's not as if I can now kill the old bastard," he said with a snort. His pacing then stopped abruptly just at the foot of the table. Or could he? He glanced at the woman, eyes narrowing. The child now growing inside the women was created by Plagueis, though the Force. Wouldn't it be safe to wager that this individual, by the nature of its very creation, would be more attuned to the Force than any other being in the galaxy? Such an individual might even be able to make intuitive leaps into the secrets of the Force – leaps that would greatly benefit the apprentice in filling in any gaps of knowledge he needed to continue Plagueis' experiments. There was also the possible added benefit of molding this person as an learner of his own.

The apprentice glanced back the way his master had left the room, remembering how weak he looked. Another chance may never come up again, especially with how vulnerable Plagueis was at the moment. Even when normally asleep, the Dark Lord had always been able to detect any hint of danger to his person. But the experiment had definitely left him so close to death's door.

All Plagueis needed, the apprentice thought with a quirk of his lips, was one final push.

Checking one last time on the health of the woman, – as well as her all-too important cargo – and the Sith Lord left the chamber.

**oOoOoOoOo**

As he neared Plagueis' cabin, the apprentice's hand found the grip of his lightsaber and took it out partway. He paused. Plagueis, even in his extremely weakened state, might still have enough reserves to be a problem. What was needed was something more…subtle. As he looked around, he caught sight of more Sith artifacts that lined te bulkheads of the corridor. One in particular grabbed his attention. A small, nondescript dagger hung on a mount, almost outshined by the other objects surrounding it. Grasping it, the Sith Lord slid the dagger from its scabbard. Even the blade looked unremarkable, though, through the Force, a lethal aura surrounded the edge.

Outwardly ordinary, yet insidiously pernicious; the apprentice felt akin to it already. Avoiding any contact with skin, the dagger slipped easily into a sleeve. The door to his master's quarters slid aside, sounding unusually loud to the apprentice's ears. Quietly, he slipped inside.

As the door slid shut behind him, a breath was held and eyes took a few moments to adjust to near darkness of the quarters. No sounds came from within. No exclamations or demands as to his presence in the room were demanded from an irate master. Nothing came out from the veiled darkness.

Slowly, the apprentice let out his breath. He spread out his senses and felt the thin reed of life from a corner of the room. Obsidian robes barely whispering on the floor, he glided across the room. Just a little closer…

Something clamped down in a death grip on the apprentice's open hand.

Twin amber eyes appeared in the darkness, found his, and narrowed in ominous suspicion. Lights suddenly appeared everywhere in the room, briefly blinding all.

"What is it?" whispered Plagueis in tired, yet growing anxiety. "Is it the woman? Is she –?"

Thinking quickly, the apprentice composed his face into a look of worry and said, "Master...the woman! The scanner showed an anomaly. I've brought the readout –!"

"Show me!"

The apprentice brought forth his other hand, palm down, as if to show his master the aforementioned medical scanner. He turned it over…

…the dagger flashed into his hand, and, with a snarl, the Sith Lord plunged it deep into his master's heart.

Darth Plagueis roared in furious agony. The hand gripping his apprentice's wrist suddenly flew open and crackled with rage-fed lightning. In a fit of explosive power, he sent his erstwhile learner flying clear across the room to smash into a wall.

Collapsing into a heap, the apprentice, burning and smoking, could barely move. The dagger still clutched in his hand, he witnessed the blood quickly congeal to a thick, black ichor, which then turned a sickly green. He looked over to see Plagueis stumbling towards him.

"Damn you!" Plagueis screamed, one hand bunching up his robes to staunch the bleeding, the other still crackling with energy.

"You…_dare_! You - ach!" Plagueis stumbled forward, his face a rictus of agony. Grunting, he fell to his knees. He looked over at his learner in furious bafflement.

"What…what have you _done_ to me?" he demanded.

Slowly, deliberately, the apprentice brought up the green encrusted dagger…and smiled through blood-tinged teeth.

Plagueis stared at the dagger for a moment, eyes widening. Gurgling in pain, he pitched forward, barely holding himself up on one hand. He grunted in stark surprise as he brought a hand up. Blood vessels, already apparent through his pale skin, stood out even more so as they congealed from black and then into dull green.

He wiped his hand across his mouth and hissed in frustration as the red splotches on his hand also quickly turned from black to a venomous mauve. Drying quickly, the flecks of blood crystallized and turned to ash.

Stretching out his hand and sending his betrayer a murderous glare, Plagueis fell to his side, twitching here and there.

The apprentice coolly looked on as his master's once pallid complexion quickly turned to a gangrenous hue. A vivid green mist lazily misted from his mouth.

Had his master been at his best, his powers of healing would have surely overcome the poison coursing through his veins. As it was…

With a final convulsion and a silent curse at such an ignominious end, Darth Plagueis, Dark Lord and Master of the Sith Order, breathed his last.

Several feet away, the apprentice – no, the _master_ – stirred. He rose unsteadily to his feet, pain still shooting through every nerve ending, his body promising many levels of pain for days to come. Gritting his teeth, he shuffled over to the dead body. Green ooze was already leaking through Plagueis' eyes, mouth and nose. The new master carelessly dropped the dagger, letting it clatter on the floor. Taking a shaky breath, he brought his foot back…and smashed it across his former mentor's face.

"Master…heal thyself!"

**oOoOoOoOo**

_**Several weeks later…**_

Pi-Lippa bustled from one room in her expansive home to another, taking the time to make sure all preparations were in order for the upcoming party they were holding that night. As the wife of a prosperous water merchant, she especially wanted to make sure everything went off without a hitch tonight. Stopping by the kitchen, she took time to sample some of the appetizers being prepared by her staff. She frowned. Her husband had warned her that it was possible Gardulla the Hutt might even be making an appearance.

Pi-Lippa sighed in resignation. She understood that her husband's business connections had to sometimes cross those of the local crime lords; there wasn't a corner of Tatooine you could go to that _didn't_ have a Hutt's grubby fingers in it. And, as always, it was good for business. She only hoped the cleaning staff wouldn't have too much trouble dealing with any mess afterwards.

She glanced over to one of her servants currently setting up a tray of delicacies known to be the favorites of the Hutts. As is often the case, what is considered a delicacy to a Hutt may cause severe intestinal problems to humans or humanoids. The servant grimaced several times as she arrayed the vile-looking finger food. Suddenly, she straightened, put a hand to her mouth and rushed towards the nearest refresher.

Concerned, Pi-Lippa walked over to the closed door just in time to hear the sounds of heaving and retching. She rapped on the door.

"Dear, are you alright?"

Several minutes passed when all that could be heard was the sound of running water. Finally, the door opened to reveal the servant's ashen face.

"I'm sorry, milady," she said weakly. "I haven't been feeling myself lately. It's even been hard to keep any food down."

Pi-Lippa placed her hand on the woman's brow and said, "Hmm, you do have a slight temperature. We can't do anything about it now, but first thing in the morning I'm taking you straight to Anchorhead. It may be a hive for scum and all that, but I've heard a physician opened up a practice there. She might even have a 2-1B medical droid available."

The servant's eyes widened. "Milady! The – the expense…I can't afford–" She was forestalled by the sight of her mistress placing her fists on her hips.

"Shmi Skywalker," the woman said severely, "how am I supposed to run this household if I can't even take care of my best servant?" Her demeanor changed when she smiled broadly. "Besides, it's just probably something you picked up a while ago – some bug or something."

Shmi smiled in embarrassment. "You're probably right, of course," she said with a chuckle.

"I mean, what _else _could it be?"

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Rise, Senator."

King Veruna, elected monarch of planet Naboo, waited until his trusted friend and advisor rose after delivering his report, before continuing his walk through the royal palace in Theed.

"I must say, my friend," Veruna started, "you've certainly come up with a comprehensive report from your fact-finding tour of this and surrounding sectors." He read through the highlights of the dispatch. "You're certain the Intergalactic Banking Clan will help finance our plasma mining initiative here?"

The senator nodded. "I've been given full assurances from the head of the IBC, herself. They provide the capital, we do the mining of the unprocessed plasma and the Trade Federation sells the refined product for us."

The king's brow furrowed. "I still have some misgivings on having to deal with the Federation. We're only one planet and they have so much in the form of resources."

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the Trade Federation has much economic influence out here in the Rim," the senator commented wryly. "They are almost exclusively involved in every business venture in this sector."

"Monopoly, you mean." The king said the word almost as a curse.

The senator spread his hands. "If we are to bring in some form of revenue for the planet, they are the only ones we can deal with. The Trade Federation also has the proper ships to navigate through the trade routes to bring our product to the Inner Worlds."

"Which gives them another monopoly since it's _only_ TF cargo ships that are allowed to bring goods to and from the Outer Rim territories," Veruna cut in. "If the Republic ever decided to do anything about Trade Federation, and their stranglehold on the trade routes, it'd be a disaster for us all out here."

The senator said nothing about this and kept a respectful silence. Finally he said, "Sire, I understand your reluctance in dealing with the Federation. However, I should point out that the price to haul, as well as handling the sale of, our refined plasma is reasonable. Think of how much more they could have gotten from us had they wanted to land their own ships and facilities here on Naboo."

"Perish the thought!" exclaimed Veruna. "If things ever went bad, we don't have a standing army or even ships to fight them off with." The King sighed and said nothing more. He continued his walk through one of the palaces many expansive courtyards, the senator walking discreetly at his side.

"Still," Veruna started, looking more resolute, "this was my idea. One cannot hope to reap great benefits if one is not willing to take extraordinary risks. An extra source of revenue is always helpful…especially if one wants to be remembered for great deeds he's done."

"If I may, your majesty, make a suggestion?" the senator asked. The king nodded. "It may be possible to set aside some of the profits from your enterprise to purchase a few lightly armed fighters."

"Naboo has always prided itself in being a peaceful planet," the king countered warily.

"Of course, my king," the senator replied, "but it would help to make the Trade Federation think twice from doing anything rash. The people of this planet would certainly look you in a far better light, knowing you are thinking of their safety and security."

It was no small secret that the king was currently mixed up in certain small, and seemingly innocuous, scandals involving several lesser ministers. Not the most wholesome of starts for a king who'd been elected only six months before. Certainly, being a king who made the people feel safe couldn't hurt either. Veruna smiled. Yes, the more he considered it, the more he liked the idea.

"You certainly do come up with some intriguing ideas," the king said. The senator tipped his head in modesty.

As Veruna handed back the report, he caught sight of something blackened or charred just peeking through the royal robes that lined the other's wrist. "Good heavens, what happened to you?"

The senator calmly looked at where the king pointed and actually started to blush. "It was my own stupidity, my king," he said in wry embarrassment. "On the last leg of my journey, my ship ran through an ion storm. It lasted only for several minutes, but it still managed to short out some of my craft's systems. Nothing major, of course, but it did not exactly leave me unscathed." He raised his hand in forestall a concerned a response from the king. "I promise to have it looked at the earliest convenience. It was only my duty to get this report to you the moment I landed, especially if the Trade Federation decided to possibly change the terms of the contract."

King Veruna smiled and clapped the man on his shoulder. "I have never doubted your loyalty or your integrity, my friend. You put your own safety at risk, all to help king and country. I know with your good counsel, and with this successful mining initiative you helped me with, I will have a long and fruitful reign."

Senator Palpatine bowed and gave a small smile of his own. "My lord, I live only to serve."

**-FIN-**

**Author's Post-Notes: **What got me started with this story was that there was some ambiguity as to who Plagueis was and if Sidious really was his apprentice. In the movie, you didn't quite know, but in the book it was explained a little more. Also, I felt there was some uncertainty with Palpatine's claim that he had the power to save people from dying. Early in the film, he hints that he does have the power, but when Anakin is just about to turn towards the dark side, Palpatine says that 'only one' ever had the power. Also, he said he and Anakin could work to discover the secret. I took this to mean he either never really had it, or had some fragments of the research Plagueis did (as I wrote in the fic).

Of course, with Sidious, you can never really tell.


End file.
